Farmington River Area Weather

"If I had to take only one fly to the river I would most certainly choose a
wet or a soft hackle, as they are without a doubt the workhorse patterns in
our tool kit. They can represent nymphs, dry flies/emergers, or in the
larger sizes even small streamers, and do so in a more lifelike manner.
Unfortunately most people restrict their wet fly presentation to a
quartering downstream approach, but there are many other (and often more
effective) methods to employ. Our class will demonstrate all of these
techniques, teach you how to rig a wet fly leader, and hopefully increase your on stream success!" -Pat Torrey

Learn to fish the most versatile flies in the fly fisherman's arsenal,
i.e. the wet flys & soft hackles. Fished the on the top as a dry fly,
subsurface as an emerger, on the bottom as a nymph, or anywhere in between, the wet fly can do it
all! As a category of flies, one could argue that they are the most versatile of all.
Pat will show how to fish & rig these marvelous patterns, along
with suggestions on when & where to fish them. Wet
Flies/Soft-Hackles are some of the oldest flies in existence (literally
hundreds of years old), and they are experiencing a resurgence of
interest in them recently as anglers learn both how fun & effective
they are. You can cover a lot of water quickly with wets, and without
working as hard as you would with nymphs or streamers. It's positively
lethal when you are searching water where it's not obvious where the
trout are holding.

Pat Torrey is one of the longest running Farmington River guides- he's been flyfishing a long
time, and he knows trout & what catches them. He has developed
a style influenced by the methods of the great PA angler Joe Humphries
and the
tutelage of his mentor, Ross Marigold, the late legendary guide on
Montana’s Madison River (inventor of the Serendipity fly). Pat is a
retired school teacher, so he is an effective educator who knows how to
impart knowledge to his students, and he truly enjoys doing so.

Class is limited to a max of 6 people, cost is $90, paid in advance, nonrefundable.
Bring your waders, rod/reel, and all other fishing equipment. Bring
whatever wet flies & soft hackles that you have, and we will also
have them for sale at the shop. This class will mostly take place on the
water, so bring a raincoat in case of inclement weather. A pen &
pad to take notes is also recommended. There will be a break for lunch
somewhere in the middle, so bring a bag lunch & drink, or you can
purchase lunch at a local eatery. Call the store at 860-379-1952 to sign
up.